Sessions

In this interactive session, you’ll explore key insights from foundational family engagement research and discover how to apply them in your daily interactions with families.

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You’ll gain access to a practical conversation guide designed to help you plan and lead relationship-building discussions with families. Together, we’ll examine the differences between routine teacher-family conversations and those intentionally focused on building trust and connection.

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With dedicated planning and practice time, you’ll leave this session feeling confident and prepared to nurture stronger, more meaningful relationships with every student’s family.

In this session, participants will:

• Learn a structured approach to planning inclusive, academically focused family conferences using a Family Conference Guide.

• Gain practical tools for creating agendas that reflect both teacher and family priorities.

 

Family conferences are key opportunities to build trust, share academic expectations, and equip families with actionable insights to support their child’s learning at home. With the Family Conference Guide, you’ll learn how to lead clear, purposeful conversations that help families understand:

• What their child should know and achieve by year-end

• What their child is currently learning

• How their child is performing against grade-level standards

• How they can support classroom instruction at home

 

This session will leave you confident and prepared to foster meaningful partnerships through effective, collaborative family conferences.

In this session, participants will:

• Strategize and plan for a productive and outcomes-focused conversation with a student’s family.

• Learn techniques for balancing honesty with empathy and active listening.

 

Every family deserves an accurate and timely picture of their child’s academic and social-emotional progress. However, delivering difficult news can be challenging. This session will guide you through planning and leading sensitive conversations, ensuring they are approached with care, clarity, and respect.

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You’ll leave equipped with practical strategies to communicate directly, address emotions with sensitivity, and ultimately strengthen trust and partnership with families, even in the face of tough topics.

In this session, participants will:

• Collaborate with peers to address real-world family engagement challenges.

• Use a structured problem-solving approach to identify root causes, challenge assumptions, and explore actionable solutions.

 

Family engagement challenges are often complex and nuanced, with no one-size-fits-all answers. This session offers a collaborative space to share experiences, unpack persistent challenges, and generate thoughtful strategies for improvement.

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By the end, you’ll leave with practical, actionable ideas to address your unique challenges—solutions that honor family relationships and strengthen partnerships for long-term success.

In this session, participants will:

• Reflect on the frequency and quality of their communication with students’ families.

• Identify trends and opportunities to enhance equity in their outreach.

 

Open, consistent communication between educators and families is key to student success. However, busy schedules and unconscious biases can sometimes lead to uneven communication patterns.

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This session offers a chance to analyze your current practices, recognize areas for growth, and develop a plan for individualized, impactful communication with families. You’ll leave equipped with clear next steps to ensure every family feels informed, valued, and empowered to support their child’s education.